Floor mat or floor covering



Feb. 27, 1934. Q J, `F'ETERSQN 1,948,826

FLOOR MAT OR FLOOR COVERING Filed April 25. 1932 Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFice 3 Claims.

This invention relates to mats which may be made of any suitable material but which are preferably formed of rubber, rubber composition, or the like. Rubber mats formed with perforations extending therethrough have long b een in use and this form is the most commonly used at the present time. However, these mats are unsatisfactory in that they tend to crack when they are rolled up, and furthermore, allow the dirt to pass through onto the floor. Other forms of rubber mats having somewhat roughened or slightly ribbed surfaces have also been used but these are also usually made so light that they are apt to become bulged or creased by the feet passing over the same, and in general have not proven satisfactory.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a novel floor covering or mat which will have distinct advantages over those heretofore in use; to provide a mat formed of rubber or the like which will be particularly eiective in use and which will tend to remove dirt or particles from the shoes of persons walking over the same; to provide a mat having ridges or protuberances with squilgee-like upper edges; to provide a mat which will be particularly attractive in appearance and which may be readily cleaned without removing from the floor, or which may p be rolled up and removed without injury there- 30 to; 'and to provide an article of this character having such other advantages and improvements as will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the. accompanying 'drawing illustrating this invention;

Figure 1 is a plan view showing one form of my improved mat or runner;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1; l

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View intended to illustrate the cleaning action of the ridges;

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a modified form of construction; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the possibility of color effects. l

My improved mat 4or oor protecting member comprises a sheet or strip 6 formed of rubber, rubber composition, or other suitable material which is preferably waterproof and resilient. Thisl sheet has a plurality of upwardly projecting ridges or protuberances 'I which may be arranged thereon in any desired manner. For instance. as shown in Figure 1, such ridges are positioned diagonally to provide a herring-bone effect. while in Figure 4 they are shown arranged transversely. The sheet 6 is preferably of sui'- flcient thickness to provide a substantial base while at the same time being sufiiciently flexible so that it may be readily rolled. It may also be reinforced with any suitable reinforcements such as commonly used for such purposes, if desired. 50 The ridges 7 are of such proportion as to give a rugged effect and the grooves between the same provide spaces in which dirt or the like may collect. As an example of a commercial embodiment of the invention the sheet may be made 05 one-eighth of an inch thick and the ridges threeeighths of an inch wide, and one-quarter of an inch high. with three-eighths inch spaces between the same.

One of the partcularly novel features of this invention is the conformation of the top of the ridges or protuberances to provide-surfaces which will automatically clean or tend to clean shoes or surfaces pressed against them. Each ridge has a groove or depression 8 therein with upwardly 75 extending peripheral ribs of triangular cross section having edges 9 which are the parts that first come in contact with the soles. As shown in the drawing, these ribs are preferably in the form of right angle triangles in section with the 50 vertical portion of one rib opposed to the vert` cal portions of the rib on the adjacent ridge.

When a person walks over the mat, the soles will rst come in contact with the edges 9, as shown in Figure 3, and tend to press them down, g5 which 'also causes them to spread or move outwardly, thereby cleaning or scraping off corresponding portions of the sole, the dirt or the like thus removed being deposited in the groove between the adjacent ridges vas illustrated.

In the manufacture of my improved mat-s, the base and portions of the ribs or ridges may be made of one color as indicated in Figure 5, and the tops of the ridges may be made of another color, thus providing contrasting effects whereby the mats may be given a particularly pleasing and attractive appearance. It will also be noted that the inclined or herring bone arrangement shown at Figure 1 not only provides a pleasing appearance when arranged as a single mat but also provides means whereby further artistic effects may be produced by placing one runner along side another so that the patterns will be matched. With this form the ridges also tend to strengthen or reinforce the base when the mat is rolled and the diagonal ridges with their sharp edges are particularly eifective for cleaning purposes as well as to prevent slipping.

From this description it will be apparent that my improved mat may be made in various forms or designs in order to embody the characteristic features and therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the exact arrangement herein shown and described except as set forth in the following claims in which I claim.

1. A floor covering of the character set forth,

lcomprising a sheet formed of resilient material with a plurality of substantially parallel, upwardly projecting ridges defining channels therebetween each of said ridges having marginal ribs of substantially triangular cross section alongthe top thereof with their outer sides substantially normal to the sheet and which are adapted to bend outwardly when pressed down, whereby the upper edges of the adjacent ribs oi adjacent ridges tend to approach each other and to pinch off or remove any substance adhering to the sole of a shoe when pressed against the same.

2. A floor covering of the character set forth formed of resilient material and comprising a sheet, having upwardly projecting pairs of par- Lacasse allel ribs of substantially right angled trlangu= lar cross section, with their bases parallel to the sheet and with the longer faces of the ribs of each pair confronting to each other, the upper edges of the ribs of each pair being adapted to move outwardly so that the edges of ribs oi adjacent pairs will tend to remove dirt or the like from shoes when walking over the same.

3. A device of the character set forth, com prising a sheet having upwardly projecting, substantially parallel, adjacent ridges, the upper surfaces of the ridges being longitudinally grooved to form longitudinal, marginal ribs o triangular cross section with their outer sides at right an gles to the sheet, the upper edges of the ribs be@ ing adapted to be exed outwardly whereby ad jacent ribs or" adjacent ridges will cooperate to produce a pinching action when pressed downwardly and will tend to remove anything on the sole oi? a shoe when it is pressed against the same.

CHRISTEN J. PETERSON. 

